Here's How ESPN's Israel "Izzy" Got Shredded!
Many professional athletes transition to media after retirement. And for most, maintaining a level of fitness is a common part of their brand and lifestyle, so after years out of the game you would still expect to find them in pretty good shape.
What is uncommon is to find journalists who are as fit as the people they cover. Not the case with Israel "Izzy" Gutierrez - living proof that elite athletes don't all have pro sports contracts. At 39 years old, Izzy is changing the reporting game. The difference here is that Izzy doesn't come from that world. His road to fitness started later in life. Now, his chiseled physique rivals those of fitness models and professional athletes alike.
Izzy was born in New York and reared in Florida. He attended North Florida High School and was a heavy teen. He joined the yearbook committee and later became yearbook editor. It was during this time that Izzy started having second thoughts about becoming a lawyer.
He always was an avid sports fan with his favorite sport being basketball. As a reaction to that, Izzy decided to study sports journalism at the University of Miami, starting off writing for the student newspaper, Independent Florida Alligator.
After graduation, he covered sports for The Palm Beach Post and for The Miami Herald. Izzy continued to struggle with his weight while in his 20s. He started doing work for ESPN in 2008 and signed on full-time 4 years later. After working his dream job at the Herald for 9 years, he decided that he wanted to be as happy in all other areas of his life. He needed a challenge so Izzy trained for and completed his first marathon in 2009. And he has never looked back. Encouraged by the weight loss and his accomplishment, he spent the next few years training with the P90X program while in his early 30s.
A friend introduced Izzy to a trainer and quickly started a 6-day per week training regimen. His workouts focus on strength, speed, agility, quickness, and power. He regularly performs foot drills, plyometrics, and core workouts. He doesn't limit his sessions to indoor training, as he exercises outdoors at least one day per week. Furthermore, as an avid flag football player, he credits his competitive nature as his motivator to push himself in the gym.
With his recent fitness experience, Izzy believes that he is better able to relate to the athletes he interviews at ESPN. And they have taken notice of his progress. Chandler Parsons, forward for the Memphis Grizzlies,was so impressed with Izzy's ripped physique, he said, “Man, you’re going to have to start [drug] testing these writers.”
There is no question that Izzy has come a long way in achieving both his personal and professional aspirations. His is a good example of self-awareness, setting high standards, goal-setting, and focus. Like Izzy, we can all have the life that we want. We must simply follow our passions and choose to be the best versions of ourselves.
